Meaning of some obscure words in song

Subject: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Fergie
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 08:08 AM

Hi all

On Google Books I came across Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine Published by William Blackwood, 1821. It contains the lyrics of a song called Paddy Carey O. The song contains two obscure words the meanings of which I cannot identify.

The words are androferary and sisserary. The contexts are shown in the verses below. Anybody got any ideas?

Fergus

His jacket it was laced,
He'd a sash about his waist,
By his side hung his Androferary, O;
With his spurs of polished steel
That jingled at his heel,
There was none could compare with Paddy Carey, O.

Now, good luck to the tune
That melts the girls so soon,
And puts them into such a sisserary , O
Let us stick to the plan
Of being happy when we can,
So piper rattle up with Paddy Carey, O.

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 08:22 AM

Ridolfo Capo Ferro was an Italian master of the rapier and wrote "Gran Simulacrum" (one of the very earliest books on rapier usage) in 1610. I don't have the resources to dig deeply into it, but I suspect that "Androferary" is a corruption of of the name of either a fencing master (Andrew Ferro or Ferry, for instance) or a swordsmith.

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:00 AM

In Walter Scott's Waverley Chapter 50 the Chief of Mac-Ivor says to Waverley of his broadsword:-
"We'll put in bail, my boy; old Andrea Ferrara shall lodge his security..."

Scott helpfully adds a footnote to explain "That the name of Andrea de Ferrara is inscribed on all the Scottish broadswords which are accounted of peculiar excellence."
See Waverley Chapter L Footnote X

Matthew Edwards

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:13 AM

From the website of the Association of British Scrabble Players:

sasarara sassarara sisserary siserary sussarara - A scolding; a blow.

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: GUEST,Noreen at work
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:14 AM

That was me :0)

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:37 AM

Hi Noreen!

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines 'siserary' as a corruption of 'certiorari', with four meanings:-
1. A writ of Certiorari.
2. with a siserary, with a vengeance; suddenly, promptly.
3. A severe rebuke or scolding; a sharp blow; a torrent of (language).
4. A loud clanging noise.

You'll love the citation the OED gives for this last meaning - its from Child 75E (Lord Lovel) v.5:-

"He had not been in fair England,
Not passing half a day,
When the bells of the high chappel did ring,
And they made a loud sassaray.

Matthew Edwards

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: curmudgeon
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 10:06 AM

Andrea Ferrara, Italian swordsmith, 1550-1583. His blades, light and springy, were highly prized for the Highland basket hilted broadswords, often called "claymores" in error - Tom

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Noreen
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 02:31 PM

Brilliant! Fergie's query answered thoroughly and smartly :0)

Hello Matthew, I do love the citation- the inclusion of that word would be a good reason for learning that version of Lord Lovel (I sing the Keane sisters' version, Lord Donegal).

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Fergie
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 02:48 PM

Excellent. Now I can add the song to my repetoire and if I'm asked the meaning of sisserary or androferary I can answer.

Well done and thank to everybody for you help and contributions

I will post the full lyrics in a separate thread and link it to this one

Fergus

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:19 PM

Hello Fergus; good luck with learning the song. Malcolm Douglas looked at this Blackwoods article in the thread Origins: The Snows They Melt The Soonest, but he couldn't find any evidence to confirm the attribution of that particular song to Thomas Doubleday (1790-1870).
However, given that Doubleday was also associated with Robert Roxby, the Reedwater Minstrel, who is also quoted from in the article it seems quite feasible that Doubleday lies behind the pseudonym of "Josiah Shufflebotham of Gowk's Hall". If so then he is probably also the author of your Paddy Carey song which he calls "The Irish Captain's Garland".

Hello to Noreen as well; yes I remember enjoying hearing you sing 'Lord Donegal' - it is a beautiful song.

Matthew Edwards

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Amos
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:27 PM

My, one of the endless wonders of Mudcat is the fine wide-ranging learning one acquires here. Thanks to you diligent scholars!! You deserve a grand siserary of applause, a torrent of loud acclaim.

Subject: RE: Meaning of some obscure words in song
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 09:33 AM

Now we know, and it's a richer world!

Charley Noble